Scarfing machine



Aug. l2, 1941. w. c. BAILEY SCARFING MACHINE Fil'ed Aug. 25. 193s 2 sheets-sheet 1 N .ma n@ 8 L f William CBGHe 4* l nventor y Gttorneg` Aug. 12, 1941-. w BAILEY 2,252,112

` SCARFING MACHINE vFiled Aug. 25, 19:59 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Aug. 12, 1941 UNITED STATESu PATENT OFFICE;

william C. Bailey. seattle, wash.,

yUnited 'States Plywood Corporation, v Wash.,'acorporatien ofNew York i i assignor to i Seattle, i

Application August 25, 1939, serieuse; 291,92?.v (C1. 144..-11'1) 4, Claims.

In a oopending application, Serial No. 291,924, led August 25, 1939, I have disclosed a process for scarf-jointing plywood panels and the like, and the present inventionis concerned with a machine for scarflng the edges of the panels preparatory to joining them.

Such panels are made up `by joining normal length panels with a searfed joint tofmake upv extra-length panels economically and with suflicientr strength, particularly across the joints. Dne of the prerequisitesiof such a joint is an accurately' scarfed edge onn each of the panels that are to be joined, formed by machinery in such a way as to insure accuracy and economical operation. It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a machine which to provide a scarng machine for such a purpose as has been indicated, which is capable of various adjustmentsto accomplish the above ends. It is a further necessity, in such a scarflng operation, that the scariing be done very accurately, which implies that the edge of the panel that is to be scarfed must be adjusted preciselyto the proper position. It is a further object of the invention to provide stops or gauge means for positioning 'the plywood panel accurately, and preferably additional means to clamp and hold the panel in accurate position.

It is also an objectto providefmeans which will eliminate automatically any possibility that the cutter heads may be moved relatively to the panels during such time as thestop means are upraised to a position wherein they would be in the path of the vcutter heads.

With these and other objects in mind,aswill appear hereafter, my invention lcomprises the novel machineand the novel parts thereof, and the novel combination and arrangement of the same, all as is shown in the accompanying drawings, described in this specification, and as will be more particularly defined by the claims which terminate the same. i Y

In theaccompanying drawings I have shown my-invention embodied in a form which is, at

present, preferred by me, it being understood that various changes may be made in the form,

i the operating end, and Figures character,andarrangenient of the parts without departure from `the spirit 'of my invention, as hereinafter defined. y

Figure l is a plan view"of `the scarring machine; Figure 2 is an end elevationfthereof from 3 and 4 are side elevations from respectivelyopposite sides, parts being broken away and shown in section in Figure 4 for better illustration; Figure is a sec,- tional diagram, illustratingy the feed motor cutout switch. v

The plywood panels, oneor two at a'time', as preferred, are laid upon .a suitable panel supporting table 9, and are moved thereover into scarfing position. The` edge of the panel which is to be scarfed rests upon a flat table part furnished with a Wooden edge board 9|, and the member 90 is provided with a clamp 92 extending entirely across the table and cooperating with the portion 90 ofthe table to clamp "the panels vl `when the latter are in properly adjusted scarfing position. The clamp 92 is held or guided in suitable supports 93, and is verticallymovable by screw means9'4 at each end, connected by the chain 94 for simultaneous operation.

In order to accomplish the adjustment of the panels to accurate scarring position, preparatory to clamping them in such position, the edge of thetable hasseveral stop fingers 95 held in guides 96 for vertical movement. These fingers are normally positioned below the level .of the table, and preferably below the edgev board 9|, but may be` raised into the path ofthe panels, and precisely in alignment withthe edge board, by `fingers 91 carried by a rock shaft 9B. The fingers 91, engaging in holes through'the` finger 95, raise or lower the latter. Rocking of the shaft is accomplishedunder control of the control lever 99 (see Figures 2 and 3).

The gauge or stop fingers 95 are thus seen to eiect accurate positioningof an edge of the panel which is to be scarfed, and the line thus established is, in effect,` the base line to which the remainder of the machine conforms.

A rotary cutter khead l, `carried upon a shaft I0, is supported for movement precisely parallel to the base line referred to above, and at a scarng angle with respect to the positioned edge of the panel. In effect. the cutter head and its shaft are mounted upon a carriage 2 guided uponV a guide 2l! carried by the fixed frame, the

guide 29 beingprecisely parallel tothe positioned edge of the panel,` that is, to the line established by the stop fingers 95. Movement of the carriage along this line is accomplished in any suitable manner, as for instance, by a rotatable feed screw 2| driven by a feed motor 22 through suitable drive or transmission means 23. The feed screw 2I, journaled in the frame, engages a nut 24 (Figure 2) which is carried by the carriage 2. Switches 25 at the ends of the travel of the carriage may be engaged by adjustable fingers 25' carried by the carriage, to de-energize the feed motor 22 automatically when the carriage reaches either end of its travel, as is customary in such machinery.

There is a further safety means provided in the circuit of the feed motor 22. Obviously, if the stop fingers were projected upwardly, and if Yit were then attempted to feed the cutter head energize the motor 22 whenever the vfingers 95 are upraised, these stop means becoming ineffective only when the fingers are fully retracted below the level of the table part 90. To this end a switch 26 is included in the circuit of the feed motor 22, in the nature of a normally open' or self-opening push button, and is so positioned with respectA to one of'the fingers 95, or to some part of the mechanism which operates these fingers (see Figures2 and 3), that the switch 26 is depressed and closed only when the fingers 95 are fully down, to which position they are moved by rocking the shaft 98 by the arm 99. As soon as these fingers start upwardly by an operator who moves the arm 99 counterclockwise, as seen in Figure 3, the switch 26 automatically opens and cuts out the feed motor 22.

It will be understood that it will be desired to make a wider scarf under some conditions than under other conditions; for instance, the thicker the panels to be joined, the wider, in proportion,

the scarf joint should be, within reason. It will `be obvious, too, that it will be necessary at times to effect bodily vertical or bodily transverse adjustment of the cutter head with respect to the positioned edge of the panel. To these ends the cutter head is mounted for such adjustments.

.The upright 3 is guided in transverse guides 21 of carriage 2 for the transverse adjustment, such adjustment being accomplished by the adjusting screw 30. The vertical adjustment is accomplished by means of a slide 4 whichis guided at 34 upon the upright 3 for verticaladjustment relative thereto,`this vertical adjustment being accomplished by the adjusting screw 49. It is desired to point out that each of these elements, the slide 4 and the upright 3, are provided with a central aperture.

The angular adjustment is accomplished by means of an arm 5 adjustable angularly in a plane transverse to the positioned edge of the panel, upon the vertical slide 4. Such adjustment is accomplished Aby means such as the adjusting screw I5 acting upon the arm 5, upon which, in journals II ,the cutter head shaft Ill'- is carried. 'I'he arm 5 is secured in any adjusted position by the clamp-screws 5 I The motor I2 for rotating the cutter head I is carried upon a motor support I3 4which is supported upon the arm 5, but which is preferably extended through the central apertures of the upright' 3 and the slide 4, so that the motor I2 lies at the opposite side of the upright 3 from thereby better balanced, and more easily handled.

Any suitable driving connection is established between the motor shaft I4 and the cutter head shaft I0, this driving connection being shown in the form of a belt I5 passing over suitable pulleys on the two shafts.

In operation one or two panels are placed upon the table 9 and advanced until their edge to be scarfed lies approximately parallel to the edge of the board 9I. The fingers 95 are then raised, the cutter head being withdrawn` to one'l'end of its travel, where it is out of the path ofthe panel. The panels are moved up into. engagement with the upraised fingers 95, are then clamped into position' with the lclamp S2, and the fingers 95 are then depressed. The cutter head having been adjusted to the proper position and angle, the feed motor 22 is energized, this being permitted because the fingers have been depressed. Feed motor 22 moves the cutter head, the latter rotating under the influence of its motor I2, across the positioned edge of the panel. The cutter head is so adjusted that it just'scarfs down to the edge board 9|', at the proper angle,

`and with the panelheld in proper position exactly aligned with the carriage guide 20, andthe cutter head Ibeing fixed relative to the carriage 20 while it moves therealong. The edges of the panels are scarfed with accuracy scarcely possible otherwise. Upon reaching the end of its travel the carriage 2 stops and may be reversed, and the panels are now ready for application of adhesive, preparatory to engaging and pressing them, as is disclosed in my companion application referred to above.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A scarling machine comprising a panel supporting table, stop means retractable beneath the surface, and disposed at an edge of the table, to engage, when projected, and to position an edge of a panel which rests upon the table, means to project and to 1etract such stop means, a cutter head disposed at a scarfing angle to and for engagement with such positioned panel edge, a carriage, means guiding the carriage for movement parallel to such positioned panel edge, a frame, of the cutter head and table one being supported upon the frame in fixed position and the other being supported upon the carriage for relative movement, electrical means to effect such relative feeding movement, and`means included inthe circuit of said electrical feeding means, and operatively connected to the stop means, to hold the circuit open so long as the stop means are projected, and thus to interdict operation of the feeding means,

2. A scarfing machine comprising a fixedly positioned -panel supporting table, stop fingers normally retracted below its surface, but projectible thereabjove, and positioned along one edge, to engage and position an edge of a panel which is to be scarfed, means to project and to retract such stop fingers, a clamp operatively associated with the table to grip andhold a panel thus positioned, a carriage guided for movement parallel to such positioned panel edge, an electric motor so to move said carriage, a cutter head carried upon said carriage, in scarfing position relative to the positioned panel edge as it moves therepast, in a path which includes the projected positions, but not the retracted positions, of said stop fingers, and means included in the circuit of the carriages motor, and operatively connected to the stop fingers, to hold the motor circuit open so long as the stop fingers are projected.

3. A scarring machine comprising a lixedly positioned panel supporting table, means engageable with a panel which rests upon the table to position the edge thereof which is to be scarfed, a carriage guided for feeding movement parallel to such positioned panel edge, a centrally apertured upright guided upon the carriage for adjustment transversely of the feed direction of the carriage, a centrally apertured slide guided upon the upright for adjustment vertically, an arm `guided upon the slide for relative angular adjustment in a plane transverse .to the feed direction, a motor support carried by said arm and extending through the apertures of the slide and the upright, a cutter head and shaft therefor journaled upon the arm in scarring relation to the positioned panel edge, a motor upon the motor support, at the opposite side of the upright, a drive connection between the motor and the cutter head shaft, and means to feed the carriage along the panel edge.

4. A scarflng Amachine comprising a panel supporting table, a cutter head disposed at a scarng angle relative to the edge of a panel which is supported uponsad table, a frame, a carriage guided upon the frame for transverse movement, of the cutter head and table one being supported upon the frame in fixed position and the other being supported upon the carriage,l

means to effect suchrelative movement, whereby there is relative feeding movement of the cutter head in a given path with respect to the table and the panel upon the latter, panel-edge gauging means carried by the table and movable between a retracted position and a projected po- 

